The airlines offering cheaper versions of business class

What if you could fly at the pointy end aboard some of the world’s premier airlines at a cheaper price? Same seat, same food and wine, same service – but minus some of the frills? While airlines might call them “lite”, “light” or “special” fares, the travel industry lumps them together under the “unbundled” tag.

Flying on an unbundled ticket means some of the checked baggage allowance, the free seat selection and even meals, in some cases, are shorn off in exchange for a lower price. Unbundling first took off in economy class as full-service airlines attempted to compete with the low-cost carriers.

Qatar Airways’ Qsuite business class.

It’s far less common in business class, but the concept is slowly gaining ground. In some cases, the difference between a light fare and a standard business fare on a long-haul flight can be over $1000.

For many flyers, the attraction of travelling in business class is all down to the seat. If they can save that kind of cash, they’re happy to trade the lounge access, an extra 32 kilograms of checked baggage and the full loyalty points that come with a standard or flexible business class ticket.

Neither Qantas nor any US airline flying to Australia offer unbundled business-class fares. Qantas Business Sale tickets are just that, a less expensive way to travel. Flight changes and cancellations cost more than with a Business Saver or Flex fare, but the baggage allowance, lounge access, seat allocation and upgrade conditions are the same as for the more expensive business class fares – therefore it’s not a true unbundled product.

Singapore Airlines Lite

The business class cabin of Singapore Airlines' Airbus A350.

For a Business Lite ticket, the check-in baggage allowance, seat selection, lounge access and KrisFlyer miles accrued are the same as for a Standard Business ticket. However, there is no chance of an upgrade using KrisFlyer miles, cancellation is not allowed, and the booking change fee is $S130 ($144) – higher than for the standard fare.

For a return ticket from Melbourne to Paris in April 2025, a Business Lite fare starts from $9640, while the Business Standard fare is $470 more. Unless there is a chance that you might need to change or cancel your ticket, the Business Lite fare is good enough for most of us.

Emirates Special

Emirates business class on board a Boeing 777.

Checked baggage allowance and carry-ons for Emirates Special business class fares are the same as the Business Saver, Flex and Flex Plus fares, but the points accrual is lower. Seat selection is restricted, there’s no lounge access, no chauffeur service to the airport, and no upgrade to first class. The next grade up, the “Saver” fare, gets you free seat selection, lounge access and chauffeur service.

It’s always been hard to find Emirates Special business class fares out of Australia, but for the sake of comparison, a return Special fare from Singapore to London in April 2025 would cost $4882; the Saver fare just $364 more. Given the extras that would come with that Saver fare, it’s a better deal.

Qatar Airways Lite

Qatar Airways’ business class cabin.

Checked luggage is two 32-kilo pieces, and cabin bag allowance is two pieces with a maximum total weight of 15 kilograms (the same as the regular business-class fare). Seat selection is available online, Avios points accrued is 75 per cent, and lounge access is available with payment. A refund in the case of cancellation will incur a fee, as will any changes to the booking. A Classic business fare would get you more Avios points (125 per cent), free lounge access and one booking change free of charge, but there’s not a lot to dislike about the Lite fare.

A return flight from Melbourne to Paris in April 2025 would cost $8715 for Business Lite, compared with $10,036 flying Business Classic – a difference of $1321. If you chose the Lite fare and paid for lounge access you’d still be better off by over $1000, which makes this a no-brainer. And you get the brilliant Qsuite for your long-haul flight.

Finnair Light

Finnair’s Airlounge has a unique non-reclining seatback for its lie-flat business class.

The Nordic carrier has been steadily implementing tougher rules with its Light fares, and even with a Business Light ticket, you’re getting just the seat and the onboard meals, nothing more. You can take on board a small bag and one carry-on bag with a combined maximum weight of 12 kilograms, but no checked luggage, no lounge access or priority check-in and boarding, and no included in-flight internet, although even in the higher fare categories the free access is limited to just one hour. Ticket changes are not permitted with the Light fare.

Finnair doesn’t fly to Australia, but a return Light fare from Singapore to Copenhagen in April 2025 is $5955. However, the Classic fare – which comes with two 32-kilo checked bags, lounge access, priority check-in and boarding, and a free ticket change – costs just $332 more. That’s a better deal.

Air France/KLM

Air France’s new business class.

This European partnership introduced Business Light fares in April 2023, limiting the checked baggage allowance to a single bag weighing 32 kilograms, and shearing off lounge access. There’s also a higher fee for flight changes. Although Air France and KLM sell tickets to Australian cities, Business Light is not available since those flights involve partner airlines.

For a return ticket from Bangkok to Paris in April 2025, a Business Light fare starts from $4717, which is $316 less than the cheapest Business Standard fare – the next category up – which comes with lounge access and an additional 32-kilo checked bag.

Delta Airlines

The US carrier has sparked speculation that it might introduce a business class lite fare. It’s more than a decade since Delta kicked off the unbundled concept in economy with its Basic Economy fare, and recent comments by Delta Air Lines president Glen Hauenstein suggest Delta is working out how that model might apply to its business class service.

Is flying unbundled worth it?

Some airlines’ lite, light or special business fares are well worth considering, others not. The Finnair deal, with zero checked luggage, no priority boarding and only a marginal saving, is just plain mean.

In most cases the difference between a lite fare and the next category is just a few hundred dollars, and for some the lounge access is worth the extra payment, particularly if there’s a long layover. If there’s any uncertainty about the booking, the fee for a booking change is going to make a big dent in whatever you’ve saved flying unbundled.

If I could save at least $500 on a lite fare booking I’d be persuaded but the only one that qualifies from the examples above is Qatar Airways. However, Singapore Airlines’ Business Lite fare, with seat selection, lounge access and decent KrisFlyer miles, deserves attention.